Chapter 148: Have you lost weight?
After Jiang Lan and Xie Yun arrived at the horse farm, the manager assigned them the tasks of feeding water and cleaning the stables. These horses, which have been running in the desert all year round, are more drought-resistant and only need to be watered at noon, and the stables need to be cleaned every morning and evening.
However, compared to mining in the mines, it is much easier, and the food is much better. Of course, it cannot be compared with the Marquis' Mansion, but filling the stomach is not a big problem, and the living conditions are also improved. She and Xie Yun each have a room.
Xie Yun's wound had just scabbed over and he couldn't work yet. Jiang Lan asked him to take good care of his injury. Besides, the work she was doing now was not tiring. Besides her, there were four or five other people feeding the horses, so the workload on her was not much. Xie Yun felt very ashamed and felt like a gigolo.
Especially when he saw Jiang Lan struggling to carry the bucket to the stable to add water under the scorching sun, he felt so ashamed that he wanted to find a hole to crawl into and was too embarrassed to face anyone. When he ran over to help her, he tore his wound before he had taken a few steps. Jiang Lan quickly put down the bucket and came to help him go back to rest. When she checked his wound, she found that it had cracked again and was bleeding, so she quickly applied medicine to him.
Xie Yun felt even more ashamed, thinking that he was really useless and was only causing trouble for her. He felt like a burden.
"If I had listened to you and returned home, I wouldn't need you, my younger sister, to take care of me now. Cousin, I'm such a loser." He teased himself in a relaxed tone.
"Actually, I'm really happy that my cousin came with me," Jiang Lan joked to herself, "If my cousin hadn't been with me along the way, I would have probably burst into tears."
Xie Yun regained his spirits and patted his chest to assure, "Don't worry, Sister Lan, I will definitely help you bring your brother-in-law back with you."
Jiang Lan lowered her eyelashes, her expression dimming. She didn't know whether she should take him back. Intellectually, she knew that she couldn't let him go back, but emotionally, she couldn't let him go. She wanted to stay with him for more time, but now she could only feed the horses here. She didn't know when she would see him again. If he didn't come for ten days or half a month, she couldn't keep waiting like this. Now, more than twenty days had passed since the three-month deadline. If she waited for another half a month and he didn't show up, she would have to start thinking of a way to go back.
Although she didn't say it explicitly, Xie Yun sensed what she was worried about from her emotions and said suddenly, "Things will work out when the time comes. I believe there is a way to solve everything. Sometimes it seems difficult, but there is always a way out. Sister Lan, don't be too hard on yourself. Do what you can and do your best. The rest," he looked up, "is up to God. God has His will and will not let lovers be separated."
Jiang Lan nodded and looked up at the sky, her thoughts drifting to the distant horizon. She wondered how her elder brother was doing now, and whether he had been troubled by anyone...
In the evening, Jiang Lan was cleaning the stable alone. The steward and others had gone to rest. The steward was eating a big, juicy watermelon with a thin skin in the house, while the others gathered together to play dice.
After cleaning one stable, she came out, took off the white towel around her face and took a deep breath of fresh air. After resting for a while, she was about to go to clean the next one. She heard someone calling her "Madam" in a low voice. She turned around and saw that it was Ling Feng.
"This is the medicine powder that Madam asked for." Ling Feng took out two bottles of medicine powder from his arms and handed them to Jiang Lan. Jiang Lan asked him for this when he sent the two of them to the horse farm yesterday, because the bottle of medicine powder she brought was almost used up.
On the way, Ling Feng also told the two of them about the situation at the horse farm.
There are more than 20 horses in it, all of which were selected by Qi Wuhan himself. There is one manager and five people who raise the horses. The manager likes to take advantage of small things, but other than that, he has no major problems and is fair in his work. As long as the two people abide by his rules, he will not deliberately make things difficult for them.
"Is everything alright here, ma'am?"
"Well, no one makes things difficult for my cousin and me."
"If Madam needs anything else, I will send it to you tomorrow."
Jiang Lan shook her head, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Does the Marquis come here often?" Ling Feng shook his head, her eyes dimmed a little, and then she said with spirit, "Then you should go back quickly, don't let anyone find out."
…….
The next morning, Qi Wuhan came and brought a woman with him.
The woman there was leaning against the sedan chair, wearing a mysterious and enchanting purple gauze dress, her face half hidden behind the gauze curtain, revealing her snow-white skin and bright red lips. Just a glance at her was enough to make people feel her natural charm.
There were more than ten palace maids accompanying him. It was obvious at a glance that they were of noble status and could not be offended.
The manager hurried over to greet them, looking cautious, attentive and flattering.
"The horses are all here, Your Majesty, please choose one yourself." Qi Wuhan's voice was as indifferent as ever.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is really unkind. I have no choice but to ask His Majesty for help." The voice was like honey, delicate and charming, making people's bones soften. When the slender jade hand, whiter and tenderer than water onion, gently pushed aside the gauze curtain, revealing a pair of extremely charming eyes, if you were looked at by those eyes, it would seem as if even your soul would be hooked away.
This is Beimo’s favorite concubine, Empress Xuefei, who is the most beautiful among all the six palaces. She looks very young, probably in her early twenties, but when it comes to means, no one in the harem can match her.
Asking Qi Wuhan to accompany her to choose horses was her pillow talk to His Majesty.
Then the steward hurried to the stable and brought the horse over to show Xue Fei. Jiang Lan was cleaning another stable. Seeing the steward hurriedly running over and taking away a horse, she looked in that direction and locked onto Qi Wuhan's head among the crowd. Then she saw a woman in purple clothes getting out of the sedan chair. Alarm bells rang in her heart. She was eager to know the identity of that woman and what was her relationship with him?
Then Jiang Lan saw the woman stretch out a hand as if asking Qi Wuhan to help her mount the horse. The broom handle in her hand was about to be broken by her grip. She stared at their every move intently, and the resentment in her eyes seemed to materialize.
As if sensing some strong gaze, Qi Wuhan glanced in her direction. Jiang Lan turned her head away with an angry look that said, "Who cares about you?"
"This horse is fierce and difficult to tame, Your Majesty cannot control it." He said as he walked around the horse to the other side.
Concubine Xue curled her gorgeous red lips and chuckled softly, "There is no man in this world that cannot be tamed, and there is no wild horse that cannot be tamed. Your Highness, would you like to give it a try?"
Qi Wuhan asked in return: "Is it the same with Father?"
"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, so naturally he cannot be compared with ordinary men." At this point, Concubine Xue walked towards him again. Jiang Lan clenched the broom handle in her hand again. She reached out and gently stroked the horse's mane with her fingers. The horse became restless, and the steward quickly restrained it. Concubine Xue looked at Qi Wuhan with a seductive look and said in an ambiguous tone, "However, I think Your Highness is more difficult to tame than this horse."
Jiang Lan tried hard to prick up her ears to hear what the two were saying, but unfortunately she couldn't hear a single word. If he had dared to do this under her nose before, she would have made him sleep in the study for three months!
"Your Majesty is wrong. Only animals can be tamed." He leaned forward slightly and whispered in Xue Fei's ear.
Seeing him actually approach her and whisper something to her, Jiang Lan turned away in anger, muttering and cursing. When she reached the back of the stable, she slammed the broom against the ground. "Heartless man, I'll beat you to death! You changed your mind so quickly! Fine, then you stay here and enjoy the happiness of having two wives, and I'll go back and remarry!"
…
An unknown amount of time passed, but when Qi Wuhan stood in front of her, Jiang Lan squatted with her hands on her knees, like an autistic little mushroom.
Seeing her so depressed, he felt something strange in his heart.
When she saw a pair of feet in front of her, she slowly raised her head, glanced at him, then turned her head away, facing him with the back of her head, and muttered something.
Qi Wuhan vaguely heard the words "heartless man" and raised the corner of his lips slightly, asking, "How did I become a heartless man?"
Jiang Lan remained silent, even the back of her head revealed a hint of stubbornness.
If it was someone else who was so unreasonable, he would have walked away without saying a word, but seeing her ignoring him, he was a little patient. "Didn't you see everything? What did I do?"
"You are being affectionate with her." Jiang Lan said angrily.
Qi Wuhan also found it a little funny. He suddenly bent down, a smile on his lips, and asked with a hint of playfulness, "Are you jealous?"
Jiang Lan raised her head quickly and her eyes met his. They were very close to each other and if she moved a little closer she could kiss him.
Suddenly, their eyes met, Qi Wuhan was stunned for a moment, and Jiang Lan was also stunned for a moment.
Suddenly, something seemed to hit his heart. He looked at those beautiful eyes, as if he had seen them somewhere before. A familiar feeling surged in his heart, slightly disturbing his heart, and the next moment he was covered by a cold and indifferent emotion.
He retracted his gaze, turned around and said, "I don't need to explain anything I do to you." After saying that, he started to walk away. He had just taken two steps when Jiang Lan grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at his back. His expression turned cold, and when he turned around to meet her stubborn and tearful eyes, his originally cold eyes softened a little, and he turned and walked away, as if he thought he was unlucky and didn't intend to pursue the matter of the sand anymore.
At noon, when Jiang Lan was walking forward silently with a bucket of water, the manager came over and told her that she didn't have to clean the stable or feed the horse with water anymore, and she would only be responsible for the three meals a day of the purple electric horse. The manager reminded her that the horse had a bit of a fierce temper, and asked her to be careful when feeding it and not to get too close to it.
Then the manager took her to identify the horse. Jiang Lan wanted to know if it was Qi Wuhan's order, but she didn't ask. However, she felt that it was most likely his order, and the thought of this made her feel less upset.
However, she still tried to inquire about the identity of that woman indirectly. When she heard the steward say that it was Concubine Xue in the palace, she felt very complicated. On the one hand, she felt relieved that it was not the person she had guessed he was going to marry. On the other hand, she was extremely depressed. Concubine Zhen left and Concubine Xue came. Moreover, she felt that Concubine Xue was even more difficult to deal with than Concubine Zhen. She didn't know if he could handle it. What if he couldn't control himself... then she would remarry!
Two days later, Qi Wuhan came again. This time he came alone to choose a horse. He happened to choose Zi Dian, the horse that Jiang Lan was in charge of, but she was not there.
"Who's responsible for feeding Zidian? Why does he seem to be getting thinner?"
The manager quickly sent someone to call Jiang Lan over. Jiang Lan was talking to Xie Yun when she was hurriedly called away. When she saw Qi Wuhan, a surge of joy surged in her heart but she forced herself to suppress it, trying her best to keep a calm face.
"How did you feed the horse? Why did it become so thin?" the manager scolded.
Jiang Lan carefully examined the horse's head, neck, belly, and tail. She then bent over and tilted her head to look at its four strong, powerful legs. She said, "It's not thin. I feed it according to the recipe. It always eats everything. I think it's even gained a little weight."
"Really? How come I didn't notice it?" Qi Wuhan said.
Jiang Lan said, "Your Highness, you probably didn't see it clearly. Take a closer look." She pointed to the thick, smooth mane around its neck and said, "The neck has become thicker. How can it be thinner? It's not thinner at all."
Qi Wuhan had the horse brought out, and he climbed over the door nimbly, mounting the horse in the same manner as before. When he was on the horse, Jiang Lan was still staring at him. When his gaze swept over her, she immediately turned her head and heard the sound of horse hooves. She turned her head and saw him riding away. She stood there and watched him run around the horse field four or five times, then slowed down and trotted towards her.
Qi Wuhan tightened the reins, and Zi Dian stopped right in front of her. He dismounted and walked towards the pergola nearby. A plate of watermelon to relieve the heat and a plate of crystal clear emerald grapes were already prepared on the table.
Jiang Lan was still standing outside, and the manager came to bring her over. Qi Wuhan waved his hand, and the manager took his leave first.
"Can you peel grapes?"
“…”
Jiang Lan picked up a large, emerald green grape and peeled it while casually asking, "Your Highness, do you often have others peel grapes for you?"
Qi Wuhan curled his lips slightly and asked, "Do I have to peel it myself?"
Jiang Lan frowned, ate the peeled grapes, and was stunned for a moment. How could these grapes be so delicious...
Maybe it’s because I haven’t eaten fruit for a long time, but at first glance, this tastes better than all other grapes.
Qi Wuhan picked up a piece of watermelon from the plate, handed it to her, and then took a piece of watermelon to eat himself.
"Is it delicious?" he asked casually.
Jiang Lan nodded and asked, "Can I take a piece to my cousin?"
"Do you think I'm so stingy?" He picked up the plate and gave it to her. "Feed the horse well, don't feed it too thin."
Jiang Lan said "oh", and he raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes seemed to say "what do you mean by oh", she replied, "Your Highness, don't worry, I will definitely feed Zi Dian until he is plump and white, and everyone loves him, and flowers bloom when he sees him."
......
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